Correctly scan and map road users at intersections.
Scanning And Moving Through Intersections Safely
Closed Caption
More than 40% of Crashes Happen At Intersection
- Why should we care about intersections when we're driving?
More than 40% of crashes happen here.
And it's the one place that you're most likely to encounter and cross paths with vulnerable road users, pedestrians, cyclists, motorcycle riders, scooters, and skaters.
And in industrialized countries, North America, Europe, Japan, Australia, and others, vulnerable road users make up 25% of traffic fatalities.
If we look at that globally, it's 50% of traffic fatalities are pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.
So it's important when you're driving that you locate the intersection, map and scan the intersection, looking for road users that you can track that could potentially cross your path of travel, and have calm awareness.
You don't need to be like a bird, looking for predators when it's feeding.
You simply need to be calm and relaxed.
That way, you can interpret traffic patterns and predict the individual actions of other road users.
Let's go for a drive and I'll show you how to scan and track intersections correctly.
Driving & Demonstrating How to Scan Intersections as We're Approaching
We're approaching the intersection.
We have a pedestrian on the right.
The pedestrian is okay on the sidewalk.
The cross traffic has the green light.
There's pedestrians on the other side of the intersection.
So, left, center, right, left again.
Traffic is stopped.
They have the advance green on the other side.
I'm watching the pedestrians because the pedestrians could potentially cross my path of travel.
But the pedestrians seem to be staying in place.
I have a green light.
Checking again and proceeding through the intersection.
Intersection here at the driveway's clear.
Pedestrian on the left.
MIT - Mapping Intersections, & Tracking Road Users
And I call it MIT, mapping intersections and tracking road users.
Calm awareness.
The intersection of the railway.
Left signal.
Shoulder checking.
Car is turning right.
Staying in their lane.
No pedestrians.
Left, center, right, and left again.
And proceeding around the corner.
We have another intersection here where the truck turned, and I could tell that vehicle was going to turn there before they put their signal on even because they had slowed down and had hesitated.
So they were going to do something.
Okay, this pedestrian right here is going to cross the road behind me after the white truck I suspect.
You could see the way that they were moving out towards the curb.
And there they go across the road.
So, you can interpret the actions of individual road users and pedestrians and what they're going to do.
I knew that woman, as soon as I saw her leaning over towards and near the edge of the road, that she was going to cross the road.
So here, we have the green.
Left, center, right, just before we enter the box of the intersection.
That car is staying put.
We proceed.
Calm awareness.
The bus is coming out.
The bus is good.
There's no other road users at the intersection.
Approaching the intersection, left, center, right, left again.
There's a worker over there, but the worker's fine.
And just before entering the box, we scan the intersection again.
Mapping the intersection, we're going to turn right.
Shoulder checking, moving into our lane.
We have our own lane.
According to the signs here, no pedestrians.
And we don't want to move in beside that vehicle.
We want to either turn in, be in front of it, or in behind of it, behind that vehicle, we're merging.
Okay, mapping the intersection.
We're behind a large truck here.
Large Vehicles Will Obstruct Your View...So, Stay Back
The truck is obstructing our view.
Mirror, signal, shoulder check.
We're checking.
Shoulder checking.
We didn't see any bicycles as we were approaching the intersection.
And we're staying back approximately one vehicle length from the vehicle in front of us.
The way that you can tell that is, I can see the tires of the vehicle in front making clear contact with the roadway, and if I have that landmark, then I know that I'm approximately one vehicle length from the vehicle in front of me.
This video is made possible by the course package, "Pass Your Driver's Test First Time," because we know that your driver's test is the most stressful day of your life, and without some form of driver training, your chances of passing are less than 50%.
As a bonus, we'll include both the defensive and winter driving smart courses.
These will make you a safer, smarter driver and reduce your chances of being involved in an accident.
Click down in the description there and get full details.
So going back to that pedestrian that I saw, the pedestrian on the other side of the road and I knew they were going to cross the roadway.
The position of a road user on the roadway communicates intent.
And the fact that that pedestrian was near the edge of the road communicated that that pedestrian was going to cross the road.
Mapping the intersections.
No road users.
The car is coming out.
The car has stopped.
Green light.
Mapping the intersection.
The traffic is going slow.
And I can tell that traffic is moving slow because the spaces between the cars is close together.
Left, center, right, left again.
Light is green.
We proceed.
Next light is red.
And we're mapping and tracking the road users at the intersection before we proceed.
And this car in front of me has done the correct thing and not blocked the intersection here.
And you can get dinged with demerit points on a driver's test if you pulled up there and blocked that intersection.
So know that.
These cross streets can be a bit tricky if you're doing your driver's test.
But also defensively, and as I say, it doesn't take any time out of your day to be nice.
Mapping, tracking.
Pedestrian, the pedestrian is good.
Left, center, right, left again.
Check Left Twice When Scanning Intersections
Driving defensively.
Driving for the purposes of passing your driving test.
MIT, mapping intersections and tracking road users.
Scan down.
Left, center, right, left again.
And when we scan the intersection, left, center, right, left again.
The reason we're checking left twice is due to the fact that if somebody runs the red light, that's where they're going to come from first.
So before entering the box, always check again to make sure that there isn't somebody coming through from the left and has ran the red light.
MIT.
Mapping intersections.
Tracking road users.
Interpret the traffic patterns and predict the actions of individual road users to keep yourself safe.
And remember, pick the best answer, not necessarily the right answer.
Have a great day.
Bye now.
Hang on there one sec.
The thought of failing your driver's test is what keeps you up at night right now.
Click the link over here.
Click the link and check that out.
And have a great day.
All the best.
